Learning design as a foundation for the future success of e-learning 2007 European LAMS Conference University of Greenwich 5 July 2007 Learning design as a foundation for the future success of e-learning Diana Laurillard

Outline Optimal use of technology depends critically on changing the human and organisational factors involved note the drivers and enablers we have to address How might we accelerate the progress of learning afforded by technology? The education system has to act like a learning system - at every level Transforming teaching means enabling teachers to engage in ‘CSCL’ and create ‘open teaching’ ‘Design for Learning’ - a long-term programme

Requirements of Higher Education

HE ambitions for learning and teaching Expansion but no compromise on quality Inclusive and flexible teaching and learning Expansion but no compromise on quality Inclusive and flexible teaching and learning DfES HE strategy, 2003 Access to a world class higher education system for all those with the potential to benefit High quality teaching, more personalisation of learning. Access to a world class higher education system for all those with the potential to benefit High quality teaching, more personalisation of learning. DfES 5-year strategy, 2005 Enhancing excellence in learning and teaching Widening participation and fair access Enhancing the contribution of HE to economy and society Sustaining a high quality HE sector Enhancing excellence in learning and teaching Widening participation and fair access Enhancing the contribution of HE to economy and society Sustaining a high quality HE sector The policy aims for HE have been further defined at national level as being specifically to address the issue of wider participation. The participation figures are very clear, showing the differential effects of social class in university (Dearing data showed that in the higher socio-economic groups 77% of 18-year olds go into HE as compared with only 47% from the lower SEGs). HEFCE strategy, 2006

Challenging ambitions - How does TEL help? Personalisation Flexibility Inclusion Quality Expansion Information, choice of topic & method, adaptivity Choice of place, time, pace Via personalisation and flexibility As an aspect of personalisation, collaboration Via greater productivity in the system? - innovation TEL as a foundation for the future success of HE?

What does it take to innovate in teaching What does it take to innovate in teaching? What are the human and organisational factors involved? What are the drivers and enablers already forming the context in which innovation in TEL has to operate?

What does it take to innovate in teaching? Drivers = things you can’t ignore Drivers Strategic plans Funding imperatives Learner needs Stakeholder demands Career opportunities Curriculum requirements Assessment requirements Quality standards Teachers Leaders To effect change in the system we have to recognise what the drivers in the current system are to which teachers and leaders are currently responding. They will make their own choices about which drivers they prioritise in their work, but we have to be aware of how these affect what they do. If they are most focused on learner needs, and cannot see how ICT helps their learners, then they will pay it no attention. In that sense, we must address each of the key drivers, to make sure they are acting as drivers for ICT as well. For the drivers listed here, the strategy is designed as follows: Strategic plans – make sure leaders understand how to link different forms of ICT and e-learning to their main strategic objectives – in the leadership package Funding imperatives – make sure funding models ensure best value, and hence a focus on efficiency, promoting collaboration and joining up Learner needs – make sure teachers, leaders, and e-learning designers set about understanding learners’ needs – in the way software is developed and used Stakeholder demands – parents and employers are key stakeholders who need to be aware of the value of e-learning and the part they can play in influencing optimal use and focus on the objectives the strategy is trying to promote, such as universal e-skills Career opportunities – teachers must see that innovation is rewarded, but only if it is carried out effectively – support should be evident in the development package and in promotion criteria Curriculum requirements – the curriculum has to continue to evolve in response to changes in the workplace and in society, many of which are related to ICT – the strategy stresses the importance of a curriculum development programme that takes account of these changes in all subjects Assessment requirements – assessment is the key driver in education – it must set out to test how well learners apply ICT skills within their subjects, and to recognise the skills and knowledge they acquire through ICT Quality standards – the minimum standards for effective use must be defined, updated, and assured through quality assurance processes if we are to get the best from ICT We have to recognise that all these drive the work of teachers

What does it take to innovate in teaching? Enablers = things you can’t do without Drivers Training and development Information & guidance Shareable resources Online communities Learning design toolkits Economic modelling R&D on pedagogies ICT systems and services Rights and IPR advice Teachers Leaders Teachers and leaders will respond to drivers, and develop their objectives accordingly, but they have to be supported in the change that follows. The enablers are those aspects of their work without which they will not achieve those objectives – the support that has to be in place. Funding and resources are the most obvious. This strategy is not providing new funding, but is focused on using existing funding for ICT more effectively. It focuses more on the remaining enablers: Training and development – to give teachers and leaders both the skills they need to use ICT well in their professional roles, and the understanding of how it improves the effectiveness and efficiency of learning Information and guidance – giving teachers and leaders access to what e-learning resources and tools are available, what others are doing in their field, the lessons learned from existing case studies, and how to apply this to their situation Learning design toolkits – the means by which teachers engage with e-learning, enabling them to share and adapt resources to their learners’ needs Shareable resources – the means by which teachers share resources within and across subject areas, institutions, and phases of education, ensuring resources can be accessed easily, and shared as widely as possible Online communities of practice – enabling teachers and leaders to share ideas and experiences, especially within the same field of interest, such as subject discipline, or specialist teaching R&D on pedagogies – we have so little research on pedagogy itself, as well as the special area of the new pedagogies afforded by e-learning – the strategy promotes new research, and a focus on the development of methodology ICT systems and services – without robust, flexible and affordable ICT systems, e-learning is not possible, and the strategy priorities work to ensure we get the best from these systems Rights and IPR advice – if teachers and e-learning designers are to share resources they have to be clear about what they are allowed to use them for – we need rights licences that make sharing easy, and IPR advice to all practitioners to make sure they use resources appropriately Enablers Teachers need all these types of support for innovation

How might we accelerate the progress of e-learning How might we accelerate the progress of e-learning? Can the education system act like a learning system?

What does it take to learn (formal learning)? We could look at the learning process as a series of encounters between learner, teacher, and other learners. Concepts Ideas The discursive level Questions Comments Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Answers Productions Ideas Comments

What does it take to learn (formal learning)? We also need to represent the activities a learner undertakes when learning - such as practising, experimenting, investigating, discussing, reflecting, making, commenting, debating… Task goal Trial actions The experiential level Actions Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Feedback Revisions Trial actions

What does it take to learn (formal learning)? So we could see these two aspects of the learning process in terms of a class presentation, or lecture, on the one hand: LECTURE OR CLASS PRESENTATION Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Concepts Answers Questions Productions Ideas Comments Discursive level … and a field trip, or practice exercise on the other: Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Task goal Feedback Actions Revisions Trial actions Experiential level FIELD TRIP OR PRACTICAL

What does it take to learn (formal learning)? Discursive level Concepts Answers Ideas Comments Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Adapt the Task practice environment Adapt actions Adapt actions Task goal Feedback Action ideas Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Actions Revisions Action ideas Experiential level

What does it take to learn (formal learning)? - the Conversational Framework for supporting the learning process Concepts Answers Ideas Comments Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Adapt the Task practice environment Reflect Adapt actions Reflect Adapt actions Reflect Task goal Feedback Action ideas Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Actions Revisions Action ideas And for informal learning?

What does it take to learn (informal learning)? - the Conversational Framework for supporting the learning process Concepts Answers Ideas Comments Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Adapt the Task practice environment Reflect Adapt actions Reflect Adapt actions Reflect Task goal Feedback Action ideas The Real World Teacher/Lecturer Learner Other learner(s) Actions Revisions Action ideas The learning experience for informal learning

What does it take to learn how to teach? Ideas Comments Teacher Learner Other Teacher(s) Other learner(s) Adapt actions Reflect Adapt actions Reflect Task goal Feedback Action ideas Learners The Real World Teacher/Lecturer Teacher Learner Other Teacher(s) Other learner(s) Actions Revisions Action ideas The education system acting as a learning system

What does it take to learn how to teach? - interpreting the Conversational Framework for supporting the collaborative learning process Ideas, Comments T’s expertise, understanding Ts’ expertise, understanding Ideas, Comments Adapt actions Adapt actions Reflect Reflect Learner needs Plans, Learning designs Learner actions Learners T’s practice Ts’ practice Plans, Learning designs Teaching Improved teaching Could it be a Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning process?

Transforming teaching means enabling teachers to engage in ‘CSCL’ about innovation and the use of e-learning Who else should do this but the teaching community? How do we best support teachers in discovering how to do learning design?

The JISC ‘Design for Learning’ Programme How do we best support teachers in discovering how to do learning design?

Aims of the D4L Programme Ensure the process of designing, planning and orchestrating learning activities (‘design for learning’) in UK post-16 and higher education is based on sound pedagogic principles, is evidence-based and learner-centred; Promote the development and implementation of tools and technical standards to support the process of design for learning; Promote the sharing of expertise in design for learning, for example through sharing and re-use of effective pedagogic learning designs, use models or exemplars; and Support the establishment of communities, services and resources to promote and sustain effective practice in design for learning.

Structure of the D4L Programme Models of practice Pedagogy Planner (Oxford) Pedagogy Planner (London) Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Support projects

Structure of the D4L Programme Models of practice Pedagogy Planner (Oxford) Pedagogy Planner (London) Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Support projects

Structure of the D4L Programme Models of practice Pedagogy Planner Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Learning design implementations Support projects

Linking the Pedagogy Planners Learning design

Learning design structures: 3 forms of output …text… …text… A shareable Learning Design = equals …text… …text… …text…

Learning design structures: 3 forms of output …text… …text… A shareable Learning Design = equals …text… …text… …text… …text… plus …text… A shareable generic format Shareable learning objects

Learning design structures: 3 forms of output A shareable Learning Design = A shareable learning object… …text… plus …text… A shareable generic format Shareable learning objects

Learning design as the foundation for the future success of e-learning The learning design programme will enable the teaching community to practice ‘open teaching’ ~ Exchanging learning designs Adapting learning designs Testing learning designs ~ Collaborating in the discovery of how to do learning design and how to incorporate e-learning We are developing the enablers: what about the drivers??